Be a WARRIOR, not a VICTIM

by Nita Brown and Jane Alford

About 80 people, mostly women, attended the Personal Safety Awareness class at Indian Land High School on Jan. 31.
The class, the third of four such classes offered throughout the county by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, was ample evidence that interest in personal safety has taken center stage in Lancaster County. Spurred by a string of recent violent crimes, people want to know what they can do to protect themselves.
Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Maj. Matt Shaw gave the lecture, which included a slide presentation and props. The goal of the class is to provide practical answers to increase personal safety, from awareness techniques to concealed-weapon requirements.
Shaw is a certified self-defense and firearms instructor and National Rifle Association firearms instructor, among other certifications, and has been a law officer since 1999.
Sam Funderburk, crime prevention coordinator with the sheriff’s office, and Sheriff Barry Faile greeted arrivals, handed out printed information and answered questions.
“Unfortunate times bring us here tonight,” Shaw said. “Get rid of denial. No one is totally safe; we all are at risk. Criminal attacks may be unpleasant and uncomfortable to talk about, but it’s a reality we have to accept.”
Shaw shared some sobering violent crime statistics from North Carolina and South Carolina  for 2010 that show the reality: 62,301 violent assaults; 756 murders; 3,479 rapes (that’s 9.5 per day); 14,592 armed robberies; 43,474 aggravated assaults and 148,846 burglaries.
Add to those numbers the increase in active shooter incidents – Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, etc. – and personal risk goes up.
Workplace violence, like the recent murder of a pregnant woman at a Ballantyne restaurant, adds even more risk. More than 2 million people are victims of workplace assaults each year. Some 51,000 are raped or sexually assaulted and 1,000 are killed in the workplace, accounting for one in six homicides.
Make the commitment
Shaw said the first and most important step is to make changes to increase your personal safety.
“Only a fool confuses preparedness with paranoia,” Shaw said. “Be a realist and be prepared. Ask yourself, ‘Are you a warrior, or are you a victim?’”
He outlined steps for making the decision:
• Take responsibility for your safety.
• Refuse to be a victim – unless you believe it’s your safest course of action.
• Decide now you will fight to defend yourself.
• Decide you won’t give up and be an easy victim.
 “I am sick and tired of seeing the bad guys win,” Shaw said. “But I can’t make you prepared – only give you information. The rest is up to you to put into practice.”
Awareness of your surroundings is the first major step toward personal safety, Shaw said.  Get rid of distractions that could cause you to walk into a dangerous situation simply because you’re not paying attention.
“We get paid to get shot at – you don’t,” Shaw said of law officers.
Plan ahead
Advance planning is also a key, he said.
Think of the places where you spend the most time. Then think of worst-case scenarios for those places, and how you should respond. This will give you an overall plan, even though you can’t anticipate every detail. Your responses will be automatic and help prevent freezing up in a bad situation.
Decide on an emergency code word with your family so everyone knows when it’s spoken, instant obedience to the order following is necessary.
“In my family, the code word is ‘Code Red.’ It would be followed immediately by an order to action, like ‘run’ or ‘get under the table.’ In an emergency, there’s no time to argue or give reasons,” he said.
Shaw cited the importance of knowing the South Carolina self-defense statutes. The Castle Doctrine is doctrine adopted by the state that covers laws of self-defense. It clearly states that it is proper to defend yourself and guarantees the right of the individual to bear arms. It also protects the individual when force is necessary for self-defense.
“You can stand your ground and meet force with force, including deadly force,” Shaw said.
You don’t have to be strong to defend yourself effectively if you know what to do, he added, sharing ways to fend off attackers by concentrating on the four most vulnerable places on the human body – eyes, fingers, throat and groin.
“Even my 11-year-old daughter can break one of my fingers,” Shaw said.
Arm yourself
Sheriffs across the state, including Faile, are advocating that women get a concealed- weapons permit and carry a gun.
The most important safety tip, particularly if you’re a new gun owner, is to get proper training, Shaw said. Training and practice will give you confidence to defend yourself if you have to, he said.
If you’re not comfortable with carrying a gun, consider alternatives like a personal Taser or pepper spray.
Shaw also demonstrated how flashlights, screwdrivers, hammers, tire irons, a tire plug tool, box cutter and hornet spray can also be effective emergency weapons.
Handouts available at the class covered vehicle security, self-defense for women and teens, and a synopsis of South Carolina law on the purchase, possession and carrying of firearms.
Several women crowded around Shaw after the class to ask questions and sign up for self-defense and gun-safety classes.
One of them was Gloria Davey, founder of Paws in the Panhandle. She said she came to the class because of her work with the animal rescue and adoption group.  
“I have to come in contact with so many strangers almost every single day,” she said. “I try to keep myself equipped with the knowledge that may just save my life.
“The most important thing I learned was to have a plan given the various situations you may find yourself in. By doing so, you are prepared to react rather than having to rely on figuring things out at the moment you are under pressure.  
“This is something I had not thought about at either of our newly acquired Paws locations.”
A local doctor, who wished not to be named, said he came to the first class Jan. 25 at the Carole Raye Dowling Center  n Lancaster at the encouragement of one of his patients, a sheriff’s deputy.
“I’m here because of the recent violent crimes, trying to be proactive,” he said.
He said his patient really brought home the message about personal safety when he summarized his job as a deputy.
“He said his job was to clean up the mess and do the paperwork,” the doctor said.
 

Personal Safety Tips

Be aware of your surroundings
• Get the cell phone out of your hand, and your iPod out of your ear.
• When leaving a store, take a few seconds and look around. If you see something suspicious, go back inside and get help, call 911 or ask for an escort to your vehicle.
• If you don’t look like a victim, you’re less likely to become one. Remember, criminals are cowards looking for a victim. Be confident, look people in the eye. The criminal will realize you can identify them, and be less likely to attack.
• Observe people and read their body language.
• Follow your instincts and take your gut feelings seriously.
• Try to avoid confrontation if possible. Don’t let pride jeopardize your safety.
Advance planning
• Think of the places where you spend the most time. Then think of worst-case scenarios for those places, and how you should respond. This will give you an overall plan, even though you can’t anticipate every detail. Your responses will be automatic and help prevent “freezing up” in a bad situation.
• Decide on an emergency code word with your family so everyone knows when it’s spoken, instant obedience to the order following is necessary.
Arm yourself
• Consider arming yourself with a handgun.
• Effective alternatives include personal Tasers, pepper spray and other items designed for self-defense.
• Household items and tools such as flashlights, screw drivers, hammers, a tire plug tool or box cutter can also be effective weapons. A can of hornet spray can hit your attacker up to 25 feet away, giving you more time to run.
If avoidance, awareness don’t work
• Run if you can.
• Draw attention – scream, yell, give a war cry.
• Remember the four most vulnerable places on the human body – eyes, fingers, throat and groin. Push your thumbs into an attacker’s eyes; pull their fingers backward; squeeze or strike them in the throat; and knee them in the groin or (if your assailant is male) grab, twist and pull.
Home defense
• Install motion-activated exterior lights.
• Install motion alarms.
• Dogs – even a sign that you have one – can deter criminals.
• Alarm systems and signs – criminals avoid homes with alarm system signs.
• Create a safe room inside your home with deadbolt on the inside and use additional barriers to slow entrance into the room, giving more time for help to arrive.
• Have phone access handy, particularly cell phones, since land lines can be cut.
• Have a written script – some people, in a bad emergency, forget simple things like address and phone number. Have it written out near your phone so you can clearly inform 911 where you are.
• Weapons – Keep on hand for use if needed.